The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, and more particularly to an imaging apparatus which is held and used by a user when taking an image.
Conventionally, there exists an imaging apparatus which takes an image with a camera and displays the taken image on a display device. For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-311224) discloses an imaging apparatus which is a foldable mobile phone having an imaging function. The imaging apparatus includes two vertically long housings which are connected to each other at short sides thereof so as to be foldable, and a display screen is provided in each housing. Further, a touch panel is provided on each display screen. In the imaging apparatus, by using the touch panel as an input device, it is possible to provide the display screen substantially across an entirety of a surface of each housing. Thus, while the mobile phone is reduced in size, an area for displaying information is made large.
Further, Patent Document 2 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-142564) discloses an information apparatus having a camera. The information apparatus includes a body unit and a display unit which are pivotably connected to each other by a hinge block. In the information apparatus, the camera is disposed in the hinge block.
In the imaging apparatus disclosed in the Patent Document 1, the vertically long housings are arranged lengthwise and connected to each other. Thus, a width of the imaging apparatus is too small for a user to firmly hold the imaging apparatus with both hands. Further, since the display screen is provided across the entirety of the surface of each housing, when the user holds the imaging apparatus either lengthwise or sideways, fingers are located on the screen, thereby deteriorating visibility of the screen and operability of the touch panel. On the other hand, when the user holds the imaging apparatus such that the fingers are not located on the screens, the user has to hold the imaging apparatus at back surfaces and side surfaces of the housings, and hence cannot firmly hold the imaging apparatus. Further, since the information apparatus disclosed in the Patent Document 2 is a notebook computer, it is assumed that the notebook computer is used in a placed state when taking an image, and the notebook computer cannot be held with hands and used when taking an image.
As described above, the imaging apparatuses disclosed in the Patent Documents 1 and 2 cannot be firmly held by the user while maintaining visibility of the screen and operability of the touch panel when taking an image. Thus, there is a problem that there is a high probability that hand movement occurs when taking an image. Further, since the imaging apparatus cannot be firmly held when taking an image, it is hard to perform an operation when taking an image.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus which is capable of being held by a user while maintaining visibility of a display screen and operability of a touch panel when taking an image.
The present invention has the following features to attain the object mentioned above. It is noted that reference characters and supplementary explanations in parentheses in this section are merely provided to facilitate the understanding of the present invention in relation to the later-described embodiment, rather than limiting the scope of the present invention in any way.
A first aspect is an imaging apparatus (10) comprising a first housing (a lower housing 11), a second housing (a upper housing 21), a first display section (a lower LCD 12), a first imaging section (an outer camera 25), a plurality of operation buttons (buttons 14A to 14E), and a touch panel (13). The first housing has a horizontally long shape. The second housing has a horizontally long shape, and a long side of the second housing is connected to an upper long side of the first housing such that the first and second housings are foldable. The first display section has a display screen which is provided in an inner surface of the first housing which is a surface located inside when the first and second housings are folded. The first imaging section is provided in an outer surface of the second housing which is a surface located outside when the first and second housings are folded, and located at an end of the outer surface of the second housing which is opposite to a connection portion where the second housing is connected to the first housing. The plurality of operation buttons are provided on the inner surface of the first housing and on both sides of the display screen in a horizontal direction of the first housing. The touch panel is provided on the display screen.
In a second aspect, the imaging apparatus may further comprise a second display section (an upper LCD 22) provided in an inner surface of the second housing which is a surface located inside when the first and second housings are folded. In this case, non-display-screen areas (B1 and B2) are provided on the inner surface of the second housing and on both sides of the second display section so as to have widths which are the same as those of areas (A1 and A2) on the inner surface of the first housing on which the plurality of operation buttons are provided.
In a third aspect, the second housing may have a width which is the same as that of the first housing. In this case, the display screen of the first display section and a display screen of the second display section have the same widths as each other, and are provided in the same position in the longitudinal direction.
In a fourth aspect, the imaging apparatus may further comprise a speaker provided inside each of the non-display-screen areas of the second housing.
In a fifth aspect, the second display section may display an image taken by the first imaging section in real time. In this case, the first display section displays an operation screen for performing an operation with respect to the imaging apparatus (see FIG. 19).
In a sixth aspect, when a real-time image taken by the first imaging section is displayed on the second display section, the first display section may display an image for performing an input with respect to the touch panel as the operation screen.
In a seventh aspect, the first display section may display an image for editing with respect to a taken image.
In an eighth aspect, the imaging apparatus may further comprise a second imaging section (an inner camera 23) provided in an inner surface of the second housing which is located inside when the first and second housings are folded, and provided on a side closer to the connection portion of the first and second housings than a display screen of the second display section.
In a ninth aspect, the imaging apparatus may further comprise an imaging instruction button (a button 14H) located at a right end of the upper long side of the first housing for performing an instruction to store a taken image.
In a tenth aspect, the imaging apparatus may further comprise two imaging instruction buttons (buttons 14H and 14G) located at ends of the upper long side of the first housing, respectively, for performing an instruction to store a taken image.
In an eleventh aspect, weights of the first housing and components provided in the first housing may be heavier than those of the second housing and components provided in the second housing.
In a twelfth aspect, at least a battery, a circuit substrate on which electronic components are mounted, and a connector for detachably connecting to a storage medium may be provided in the first housing.
In a thirteenth aspect, the second housing may be capable of being opened and fixed with respect to the first housing at an angle smaller than 180 degrees.
According to the first aspect, when the user holds the imaging apparatus sideways, the user can firmly hold the imaging apparatus by holding portions of the first housing on both sides of the display screen (portions on which the operation buttons are provided). In this case, hands of the user are located on the operation buttons, not on the display screen. Thus, the display screen is not covered by the hands and does not become invisible, and visibility of the display screen can be maintained. In other words, according to the first aspect, an imaging apparatus which is capable of being firmly held by the user while maintaining visibility of the display screen when taking an image can be achieved.
Further, according to the first aspect, since the first imaging section is located at an upper end of the outer surface of the second housing, a finger of the user does not interfere with the imaging section when the user holds the first housing. In addition, photographing can be performed when the imaging apparatus is placed on a desk, or the like. Further, in this case, by adjusting an angle of the second housing, an imaging direction can be easily changed. In other words, by a mechanism which enables two housings to be folded, an imaging direction of the imaging section can be changed without providing a special mechanism.
Further, according to the first aspect, the display section and the touch panel are provided in the first housing held by the user. Thus, even when the imaging apparatus is held and used, or even when the imaging apparatus is placed and used on a desk, or the like, an operation with respect to the touch panel is easy to perform (as compared to the case where the touch panel is provided in the second housing).
According to the second to fourth aspects, since the imaging apparatus includes the two display screens, more information can be displayed. Further, according to the second aspect, the non-display-screen areas are provided on the second housing and on both sides of the display screen. Thus, when the user rotates the imaging apparatus 90 degrees from a state where the imaging apparatus is held sideways to hold the imaging apparatus lengthwise, the user can firmly hold the imaging apparatus. In other words, when the user holds the imaging apparatus lengthwise, the user can support the areas of the first housing on which the operation buttons are provided and the non-display-screen areas with thumbs, and can support a back surface of each housing which is opposite to a surface in which the display screen is provided with index fingers, middle fingers, ring fingers, and little fingers. Thus, while the user can firmly hold the imaging apparatus, the thumbs are not located on the display screen, and visibility of the display screen does not deteriorate.
Further, according to the fourth aspect, by locating the speaker inside each of the non-display-screen areas of the second housing, the inside space of the second housing can be used effectively, and the imaging apparatus can be made small in size.
According to the fifth aspect, the operation screen is displayed on the display screen of the first housing held by the user, and the taken real-time image is displayed on the display screen of the second housing in which the first imaging section is provided. Thus, the display screen on which the taken real-time image is displayed and the first imaging section for taking an image are provided in the second housing. According to this, if the imaging direction of the first imaging section is changed, a facing direction of the display screen is changed accordingly. Thus, the user can hold the imaging apparatus while intuitively grasping the imaging direction.
Further, according to the fifth aspect, since the operation screen is displayed on the display screen provided in the first housing which is held by the user, the operation screen is displayed on the display screen adjacent to input means (the touch panel and the operation buttons). Thus, the user can easily perform an operation while looking at the operation screen.
According to the sixth aspect, an operation with respect to the imaging apparatus can be easily performed using the touch panel.
According to the seventh aspect, the user can easily perform editing processing using the touch panel.
According to the eighth aspect, by further comprising the second imaging section having an imaging direction different from that of the first imaging section, the user can take images in two different directions without changing a manner of holding the imaging apparatus. Further, when photographing is performed using the second imaging section, similarly as in the case of using the first imaging section, by adjusting the angle of the second housing, the imaging direction can be easily changed, and the imaging direction of the imaging section can be easily changed without providing a special mechanism. Further, since the second imaging section is not exposed to the outside when the housings are folded, the second imaging section can be protected by folding the housings.
According to the ninth aspect, when holding the first housing, the user can easily press the photographing instruction button with an index finger.
According to the tenth aspect, when holding the first housing, either a right-handed user or a left-handed user can easily press the photographing instruction button with an index finger.
According to the eleventh and twelfth aspects, when the imaging apparatus is placed on a desk, or the like, the imaging apparatus can be hard to fall down. Further, by making the first housing held by the user heavier than the second housing, stability is increased when the imaging apparatus is held, and hand movement can be prevented when taking an image.
According to the thirteenth aspect, by making the angle between the housings become slightly smaller than 180 degrees, the outer surfaces of the housings fit into a shape of a hand, and hence it becomes easier to hold the imaging apparatus.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.